1. Earth Boot Camp #1
5.7B
Recognize how landforms such as deltas, canyons, and sand dunes are the result of changes to Earth’s surface by wind, water, and ice.

2. STAAR 2013 #20; RC3; Readiness
1. Glaciers are masses of ice that move slowly on land. Which of these features was most likely formed by a glacier?
F. A wide valley
G. A deep ocean
H. A lava flow
J. A mountain range

3. 2. Most canyons are the result of erosion caused by —
A a river
B a volcano
C a hurricane
D an earthquake

4. TAKS Study Guide, #22
3. Which landform was most likely made by the process of depositing sediments?
A C
B D

5. A Glaciers move through the cavern and deposit weathered limestone.
TAKS Study Guide, #23
4. A stalactite is a feature that hangs like an icicle from the roof of a cavern. How do stalactites in limestone caverns most likely form?
A Glaciers move through the cavern and deposit weathered limestone.
B Wind flows through cracks in the roof and erodes some of the limestone.
C An underground river flows through the cavern and dissolves some of the limestone.
D Groundwater drips through cracks in the roof and deposits limestone over time.

6. TAKS Study Guide, #24
5. A student placed some clean rocks in a clear plastic jar. The jar was filled with clean water and covered with a lid. Then the student shook the jar for five minutes. The student noted that smaller pieces had broken off some of the rocks and that there was a fine grit on the bottom of the jar. Which change of Earth’s surface was the student modeling?
A Physical weathering
B Chemical weathering
C Erosion of sediments
D Forming deltas

7. A carrying sediment away from the hills
TAKS Study Guide, #35
6. The rivers in the drawing have helped change the shape of the nearby hills by —
A carrying sediment away from the hills
B depositing rock near the top of the hills
C bringing water to the glacier that moves over the hills
D forming faults in the hills where earthquakes can occur

8. 2003—#12 (49%)
7. The prairie is ideal for the growth of grasses because it has rich topsoil. All of these processes help form topsoil EXCEPT —
F decay of trees
G weathering of rocks
H erosion of hills
J movement of oceans

9. 2003—#24 (55%)
8. Which experiment would best show how different methods of plowing fields on a hill affect erosion?
A C
B D

10. J Earth’s magnetic field
2006—#34 (85%)
9. Which of these can cause sharp, rough mountains to become rounded and smooth over time?
F Wind and rain
G The sun’s rays
H Light and darkness
J Earth’s magnetic field

11. 2009—#23 (77%)
10. The Davis Mountains in West Texas used to be taller than they are now. Which of the following conditions most likely caused the mountains to become shorter over time?
A Heat and pressure
B Soil deposition
C Rain and wind
D River formation

12. A river delta is an area where sediments are deposited.
2011—STAAR™ Released Test Questions, #9
A river delta is an area where sediments are deposited.
11. The sediments in the river delta shown above most likely come from the—
A mountain range
B desert
C ocean floor
D coastline

13. 12. Which of the following constructive forces will produce a new landform in the shortest amount of time?
A Deposition of ocean sediment
B Deposition of river sediment
C Volcanic eruptions along plates
D Plate pressure causing uplift

14. 13. The sides of the Grand Canyon show many different layers of rock
13. The sides of the Grand Canyon show many different layers of rock. Which statement describes how the Grand Canyon was formed?
The canyon has a waterfall.
Big rainstorms washed rocks out of the canyon.
A flowing river cut into rocks to form the canyon.
The canyon was formed from the uplifting of rock.

15. 14. Which is an example of a feature on the Earth’s surface caused by the force of wind?
Limestone rocks
Sandbars
Limestone caves
Sand dunes

16. 15. Which process is NOT caused by the movement of Earth's plates?
A. Ocean island formation
B. Weathering
C. Mountain building
D. Volcanic eruption

17. 16. People living on the Texas Gulf Coast have to place stone barriers along the shoreline to prevent wearing away of coastal land by wave action. This process is called:
A. Erosion
B. Weathering
C. Plate tectonics
D. Deposition

18. 17. Names and dates on cemetery tombstones are often worn away by the constant exposure to wind, rain and frost. This process is known as:
A. Erosion
B. Frost action
C. Volcanic action
D. Weathering

19. Mountains Volcanoes C. Valleys D. Glaciers
18. Rivers running quickly through the same area for millions of years would likely form:
Mountains
Volcanoes
C. Valleys
D. Glaciers

20. 19. Two students noticed cracks on the school’s outside basketball court. Which process can the students conclude caused the cracks?
Erosion
Weathering
Deposition
Wind

21. 20. The sand dune in the picture above was formed as a result of –
wind erosion.
animal movement.
mass movement.
volcanic eruption.

22. 21. Which of the following landforms is a result of deposition?
A C
B D

23. 22. This diagram shows a profile of soil layers
22. This diagram shows a profile of soil layers. Which layer of soil would be affected the most by weathering and erosion? 1 2 3 4

24. A. A, B, C, D B. D, B, C, A C. B, C, D, A D. C, D, B, A
23. Wave action against solid rock can cause changes in the rock structure. Which sequence of pictures shows the stages of erosion?
Top of arch collapses
Formation of an arch
A. A, B, C, D B. D, B, C, A C. B, C, D, A D. C, D, B, A
Formation of a cave
Solid rock structure

25. 24. When the ocean waves hit shore, the land is affected
24. When the ocean waves hit shore, the land is affected. If the shore is rock which of the following would you expect to see? A. Erosion B. Deposition C. Earthquake D. Dunes

26. 25. When the ocean strikes the land different landforms can form
25. When the ocean strikes the land different landforms can form. Which of the following would NOT be a landform you would expect to find?
A. Beaches
B. Valleys
C. Mountains
D. Craters

27. 26. A slow moving stream will probably deposit the most sediment where the stream bed is—
A narrow and steep
B narrow and level
C wide and level
D wide and steep

28. 27. Freeport, Texas, is built on a growing delta at the mouth of the Brazos River. The land on which Freeport is built continues to grow because— A the ocean waves cause weathering on the delta B the Brazos River is eroding sediments from the delta C the Brazos River is depositing sediments on the delta D the ocean is depositing sediments on the delta

29. 28. Which landform might be created by the action of folding and pushing together of the Earth’s crust? A A river B A plain C A mountain D A plateau

30. 29. Which of the following is a result of erosion over a long period of time? A The creation of a deep valley B The formation of a thick glacier C The creation of a hill or mountain D The formation of a river delta

31. 30. In which of the following areas might rich fertile soils affected by river deposition be found? A On a desert plain B On a rocky plateau C In a limestone cave D In a river valley

32. 31. Which statement best describes how canyons like the Grand Canyon are formed? A Most canyons are formed from falling water. B Big rainstorms wash rocks out of the canyon. C Flowing rivers cut into riverbanks to form canyons. D Canyons are formed from big rocks that come from other places.

33. 32. Which of the following is a constructive result of weathering and erosion? A River deltas are filled with sediments. B New soil and landforms are created. C Rich topsoil is blown or washed away. D Rocks are turned into sandpaper.

34. 33. Which of the following would probably change the surface of the Earth in the shortest amount of time? A A massive hurricane B A volcanic eruption C Waves on a beach D A large tornado

35. 34. Which of the following is a constructive force that changes the surface of the Earth over time? A Deposition B Earthquakes C Tidal waves D Weathering

36. 35. For millions of years, wind and water have weathered the surface of the Earth and worn rocks into sediments. Why is the surface of the Earth NOT totally level after all of this weathering? A Constructive forces build up the land. B Wind and rain cannot affect solid rock. C Wind and rain pile dirt into mounds. D Droughts keep the Earth from becoming flat.

37. 36. Which of the following landforms was NOT formed by erosion from rivers or glaciers? A A canyon B A mountain C A valley D A river delta

38. 37. Which of the following landforms is formed mostly by erosion. A
37. Which of the following landforms is formed mostly by erosion? A Delta B Glacier C Mountain D Valley

39. 38. Sand dunes like the ones pictured above are most likely caused by — A rain B glaciers C streams D wind

40. 39. What are Earth’s surface features called. A. Rocks B. Continents C
39. What are Earth’s surface features called? A Rocks B Continents C Landforms D Earthquakes

41. The diagram below shows a river flowing through a valley. 40
The diagram below shows a river flowing through a valley Which of the following processes most likely caused the river valley to form? A Evaporation B Erosion C Deposition D Condensation

42. 41. What most likely caused these mountains to have a rough surface. A
41. What most likely caused these mountains to have a rough surface? A Sunlight heated the surface and the rocks cracked. B Rocks were weathered and then eroded. C Seasons have gotten warmer over the years. D At one time ocean waves crashed against the mountains.

43. 42. Which landforms can result when running water such as a river erodes sediments from an area? A Mountains and volcanoes B Valleys and canyons C Plains and mountains D Deltas and caves

44. 43. Which of the following processes is MOST responsible for the formation of the Grand Canyon? A Scouring by continental glaciers B Erosion and weathering by wind and water C Eruptions of explosive volcanoes D Cracking of Earth’s crust by earthquakes

45. 44. All of the following are ways in which Earth’s landforms, or physical features can be changed EXCEPT— A Glaciers scraping over mountains and hills B Rain washing away mud from cliffs and hillsides C Animals migrating across the hills and plains D Rivers weathering and eroding rocks and sediments

46. 45. What is one way that ocean currents affect the land
45. What is one way that ocean currents affect the land? Ocean currents— A create mountains and valleys on the land B cause weathering, deposition, and erosion C cause temperatures to be lower on land D cause ships to roll in high waves

47. 46. The movement of sand along the beach and the erosion of rock on the shore are the direct result of – A environmental pollution B river flooding C glacial deposition D wave action

48. 47. Why are rocks and pebbles found in a river usually smooth. A
47. Why are rocks and pebbles found in a river usually smooth? A The rocks and pebbles found in rivers are not very old and are still very smooth. B The flowing river water makes the rocks and pebbles rub against each other. C Rough rocks and pebbles would stop the flow of the river, so they must be smooth. D Fish and other animals nest on the rocks and pebbles and make them smooth.

49. 48. The process of the ocean waves breaking down the seashore or beach is called— A erosion B deposition C weathering D sedimentation

50. 49. Galveston Island is a barrier island along the Gulf Coast of Texas
49. Galveston Island is a barrier island along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Galveston Island was formed when – A ocean currents and waves deposited sand and debris near the Texas coast over thousands or millions of years B tropical storms eroded sand and debris from the Texas coast over several years during the early 1900s C a large hurricane deposited sand and debris near the Texas coast during the very early 1900s D ocean currents and waves deposited sand and debris near the Texas coast over dozens of years

51. 50. What factor is most responsible for the formation of sand dunes along Galveston Bay’s shoreline? A Rain B Wind C Earthquakes D Glacial deposits